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JERRY GARCIA's 'Wolf' Guitar Sells At Auction

For ALMOST $2 Million Dollars!

June 1, 2017

In the last 20 years, ERIC CLAPTON famously sold 2 of his most iconic (Fender Stratocaster) guitars, Brownie and Blackie, for a combined total of about $1.5 million dollars—the money raised from the sale of the guitars benefitted Clapton's Crossroads Recovery Center in Antigua.

Now, the recent sale of one of JERRY GARCIA's prized axes has netted a winning auction bid of $1.9 million dollars. The proceeds of which will also benefit a charitable organization! Garcia's “Wolf” guitar, which he favored in performance for over 20 years, was 1 of 2 custom guitars made exclusively for Garcia by luthier DOUG IRWIN and was previously owned by a GRATEFUL DEAD-lovin' philanthropist, musician, and filmmaker. The previous owner bid/paid $790,000 for Wolf back in 2002, which at that time made it the highest bid in history for a guitar. In putting Wolf up for auction after 15 years of ownership, that owner told Rolling Stone Magazine that it was an honor to own the guitar, but the time had come for someone else to have the privilege of owning it.

The new owner of the iconic guitar is Mr. Brian Halligan, also an avowed Deadhead and owner of a software company. In an email to Rolling Stone Magazine, Mr. Halligan said the auction was a chance to combine his passion for the Dead with his passion for social justice. The recipient of the proceeds from the guitar's sale will be the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which was a favorite charity of Garcia's, and in addition to the winning bid, the SPLC will also receive an extra $1.6 million dollars from a matching donation, bringing the grand total to $3.2 million dollars for the SPLC! Of his plans as the new owner of Wolf, Mr. Halligan says he'll keep the guitar in his Boston home, but he’ll make sure it gets played, both by him and the Garcia family (whenever they so desire).